Oh, Brother

Chapter 3

"Good morning to all of you students, I'm Mr. Finnegan and I will be your Biology teacher this year. I won't bore you with the same introduction spiel I make every year so let's get started." He faced the board and wrote a list of tasks they had to finish during the semester.

"Is it just me or does he get better looking every year?" Willow whispered.

"You are so gross." Jess chuckled.

"What he is a good looking thirty year old and he's not married." Willow winked.

Rolling her eyes at Willow, Jess quickly glanced at the window and saw Liam playing in the field. Her annoying bestfriend's brother, Liam. Liam who was starting to actually look cute. Snap out of it, she thought to herself.

"So now let's pair you up." Mr. Finnegan sat on the edge of the table.

"What?" She accidentally said that aloud.

"Looks like Miss Carter has been zoning out into the field, huh?" Embarrassed by his comment, Jess sank in her seat.

"I've decided to pair you guys randomly since it's always nice to make new friends." Mr. Finnegan started calling out names.

"Ugh why can't we be lab partners with the teacher." Willow groaned. She noticed that Jess was lost in her thoughts.

"Hey." Willow called.

Jess snapped back to reality, "Yeah?"

"Who were you checking out on the field?" Willow gave her a suggestive grin.

"What, no one? I just—"

"Jess Carter and Kyle Jenkins." Kyle Jenkins. Jess' crush since the sixth grade. Willow's eyes widened, trying not to squeal. Jess's heart was pounding so fast, she froze.

After announcing the other groupings, "You guys can meet with your partners and discuss how you're going to execute your final project."

Everyone was bustling out of their seats. In a matter of three seconds, the room busts in chatter.

Jess couldn't manage to lift her eyes off the table. Kyle Jenkins was going to be her lab partner. Keep your cool, Jess.

"Hi." She looked up to see a tall brunette boy reaching out his hand.

"Hey." Jess felt her cheeks turn warm.

"So, project?" He sat down and placed his bag on the seat next to him.

"Right." She looked at him. "Well, I kind of wasn't listening."

"Ah," he took a peek out the window, "are you seeing someone on the team?"

"What, no." Jess defended.

"For a second there, I thought you were."

"As if, jocks are not my thing." She was taken aback by what she said. Kyle was on the lacrosse team.

"Oh, I see." He paused.

"I didn't mean it that way—"

He laughed. "It's okay, at least you're honest about it."

She thought he was so cool. He was kind and sweet. He wasn't like the others on the team. He was different and that is why she liked him.

After discussing some ideas, before they knew it, class had ended.

"So we're going with the dog?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, where do we get one though?" Jess asked.

"I'll pick you up at 10, tomorrow morning? Let's go to the pound?" The project that they needed to do was adopt an animal from the shelter and take care of it until the end of the semester.

Just the two of them. Alone together. A date. Before she let her thoughts slip down the road of imagination, she stopped it.

"Okay. See you then." She replied. He smiled at her as he grabbed his things and headed out.

-

Mrs. Jones served roast beef with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes. "I'll serve the apple crumb pie after everyone's done with their plate." Mrs. Jones always cooked the tastiest meals. That is one of the reasons why Jess felt at home. Mrs. Jones cooked just the way Jess's mom did. At least that's how Jess remembered her mom's food tasted like. Mrs. Jones asked, "so how was first day this year? And by the way, your dad will be home late tonight, he's at a meeting with a client. Before Willow could answer, the phone rang.

"I'll be right back." Mrs. Jones pushed back her chair and went to the living room.

It was just Jess and Willow at the table.

"It's not a date you know." Jess started.

"Yeah, it is!" Willow's eyes widened. "I saw him making flirty gestures at you!" Even though she tried not to get ahead of her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder what if he actually liked her back. Not that she hadn't thought about it before, but this time, it seemed possible. She felt like it could actually happen. Her thoughts were interrupted by the words of Mrs. Jones.

"Sorry about that, I told them not to call me when I'm at home, ruins the whole work plus life balance thing I promote." Mrs. Jones worked at a very popular coffee chain in LA. "So who's this boy?"

"What? How could you have—" Jess looked at her in shock.

"I was on the phone but I overheard a little bit of your chatter." Mrs. Jones laughed. Jess sank into her seat.

"He's—"

"Kyle Jenkins." He stood at the doorway of the dining room.